Concentrating table



Jan. l, 1929.

M. J. LIDE CONCENTRATING TABLE 5 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 26. 1925 Jan. 1, 1929.

M. J. LIDE CONCENTRATING TABLE Filed Jan. "26. 1925 3 Sheets-Sheet 2A Jan. I, 1929.

M. J. LIDE CONCENTRATING TABLE Filed Jan. 26. 1925 3 Sheets-,Sheet 3 Patented Jan. r1, 1929.

UNITED STATES MARTIN J'.' LIDE, OF BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

coNoENTRA'rING TABLE.

Application ined January 26,A 1925. seriai No. 4,643.

My invention relates to a concentrating table wherecn the material to be treated is received on an inclined riliied table to which are imparted three motions, namely, one vertical and two in different horizontal directions, such motions acting to effect a quick stratification of the material on, and a rapid feed of the material over, the table, thereby increasing its capacity as well as its eiliciency. Such a table, broadly speaking, forms the subject matter of my pending application Serial No. 712,589 filed May 12, 1924.

One object of my present invention is to mount the table on yieldable rocker supports and to rigidly connect to the table the mechanism for imparting vertical reciprocation thereto. My object in having this part of the operating mechanism movable with the table is to simplify vthe construction, reduce the cost, and increase the durability of the machine.

My present invention also contemplates disposing the rocking table supports and all driving mechanism below the table, thereby producing a compact self contained unit and leaving the table clear overhead, which is desirable for many operating reasons.

My present invention further contemplates the novel Construction of the rocking stanchions upon which the table is mounted, these comprising fiexible or spring portions which leave the table free to follow the various direct and compound motions which are imparted to it by the opposing horizontal drives and the vertical drive.

My invention further contemplates designing these stanchions for simple adjustment as to length, thereby to control the tilting of the table and toregulate its functions according to the material to be worked and the rate of output. j

My invention also contemplates an iniproved design of the table proper having its end discharge in line with the riffles upwardly inclined so as to retard the olf-fall of the material at the end of its movement between riies.

A further feature of my invention relates to the provision of means for adjusting the length of the stroke of the mechanism for imparting horizontal vibrations to the table, such means contemplating the simultaneous adjustment of all mechanism for imparting motion in any given direction and for independent adjustment of the mechanisms for imparting reciprocations in different directions and for the effecting of such adjust-V details ofconstruction and arrangements ofv parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in whichz-` Fig. 1 shows in plan view my improved concentrating table with ries, feed chute and water box omitted for the sake of clearnessi l Fig. 2 is a side elevation; and Fig. 3 an end elevation of the concentrating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a detail plan View of the concentrating table proper.

Fig. 5 is a detail View of one of the stanchions.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the cam and one of the longitudinal rocker' drives for the table.

Fig. 7 is a detail view'of the upper end of a modiiied type of stanchion.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the adjustable eccentric rotating weight for vertically oscillating the table.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 are cross-sectional views of the table taken respectively on the lines 9 9, 10-10 and 11-11 of Fig. 4, Figs. 9 and 11 being enlarged.

Similar' reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invent-ion .illustrated, I show a supporting structure comprising four corner uprights 1, 2, 3 and 4, preferably formed by angles which -arecross braced by lower horizontal side angle members 5 and end members 6. I mount near each end of the frame on the members 5 a channel 7 and near the ends of these channels, i. e., near the four corners of the frame, I mount the base members 8 of ball bearings whose upper or cap members 9 are slotted for the passaT e, free for an nlar play therethrough, of te threaded sianks 10 of the Gli carrying on four stanchions 12, each shank free to roel;

its lower end a. ball 11 which is in its respective bearing. Each of the stanchions 12, which are alike, has at its lower end a threaded member 13 which, by engagement with the threaded shank 10, pe;- mits the adjustment as to klength of the stanchion. I provide a square recess 11a in the under surface ef the ball 11, Which receives a square projection 8 in the soclcet 8. These parts 11a and 8 co-actto permit the ball rotating about the vertical axis of the stanehion. At its upper end each stanchion Carries a centering pin let which is received in the lower end of a coil spring l5, the upper end of which receives a. centering pin 1G forming part of the shank for an upper ball 17 which worls in a ball bearing generally designated by the numeral. lf rilhese ball bearings 18 are secured to the undersurace of the concentratingV table 19 and support it free to rock on the tour stanchions.

Along the longitudinal center line of the table, and depending from its under-surface are aligning bearings 2O which receive a shaft 21 having universal joints 22 on each side of a driving motor 23 for the shaft, said motor being rigidly connectedto the underside of the table near its center. Near each end of this shaft 21 l mount an eccentric Weight 24, which is shown in detail in Fig` 8 and which is preferably in the form of a double eccentric, the inner member 25 having an opening 26 for the shaft 21 and the key to secure it fast thereon. A set screw 27 holds the two concentrics in the desired adjusted relationship. rllhe action ot the fast spinning eccentric Weights ,is to impart rigid vertical oscillations to the Whole table, this being permitted, far as the stanchion supports are concerned, by reason of the springs 15 therein,V

As herein shown, the mechanism for imparting tivo direction horizontal reciproeations to the table consists in a drive by means of a sprocket chain 28 to a sprocket Wheel 29 fast on a shaft 30 which is journaled in brackets 31 made fast in any suitable `manner to the corner posts 3 and l of the frame. The shaft 30 at one end has fast thereon a bevelled pinion 32 which meshes with a. similar pinion '33 fast on a shaft 3d journaled, at right angles to shaft 30, in brackets 35 everhnng on the side of the frame and rigidly7 connected to the .corner posts 1 and et oit the frame Work. The shaft 30 near each end carries fast thereon an actuating cam 36 which is shown in detail in Fig. 6 in its preferred form. Cams 36 of a similar character are mounted near each end of the shaft 34. As each cam 3G on shaft 30 controls a similar rocker means only one of such rocker means need be described. This rocker elementy seen in Fig. 6 comprises al rocker arm 37 carryingI Vyolie relative to the axis ot the rocker at its lower bifurcated end a journalled roll- V39 journaled in the upper portion of the' brackets 81, and in the case of the cams on the shaft each axis is formed by a shaft Ll0 jonrnaled in the upper part of the brachets 35. The rocker entends above its axis te form an arm 111 about which a yoke ll2 is passed free for vertical adjustment, the yoke its endaway from the machine being threaded to receive a threaded vertical shaft i3 that is used to adjust the position of the arm The in a bevto varj,T the radius of its angular play. shaft i3 at its lower end is journaled bearing lton the arm 41 and carries :i elled gear which meshes a bevelled gear 4t@ on a shaft 47 also journaled in th, two rockers at the end or at the side of the niachine. By turning this shaft 47 by a hand wheel 117 both yokes 42 can be equally and simultaneously adjusted for the rockers eontrolled Vby the shaft 30 or the shaft 34 if desired and such can be made Without stopping the machine. j

In Fig. 3 1 show a simpler form of rocker arm actuated by the cam 36 on the shaft '34. Here the arm i8 extending above the anis of the rocker is provided With a series of openings 4:9 to receive abolt which connects a simple elevis or yoke 50 thereto.

The yokes 4t2 operated by the end rocker arms il serve to impart ei'idivise motion to the table by the following means. Each yoke is connected by any flexible connection such j as a pivot, see Fig. 2, or by an universal joint 52, see Fig. G, to itsrespective operating rod 51, and this in turn is connected by an universal joint 53 to a depending bracket 5ft. Une of these Vbrackets 5l mounted fast on each side of the table and depends thereunder with a series of attachn'ient holes provided on each side of the bracket. These brackets are equi-distant from the shaft 30 and each 'has attached thereto a spring 55 in terposed between an universal. coupling 5G and a rod 57 that in turn is bolted to a rigid support 5SV on the under frame. Thus, when the rockers L11 pull the frame endivise to the left, Fig. 2, the springs 55 will act te ret-urn it to the right. ln like manner, 'the yolies 50, operated by the side rocker arms 48, act through rods 59, springs tl() and universal couplings 6l to engage end brackets G2 and pull the table sidewise against the action of springs 63 interposed between universal joints 611 connected to the brackets G2, and rods 65 connected to rigid supports (56 on the frame; In each rod of the operating connections described l interpose a turn buckle 67 for the purpose of permitting ad justment of its length and hence control of lill the tables position.` The brackets 62 make provision for change in the point of attachlnent of the operating connections'to the` By the end rockers 41, lengthwise oscil-i lations.

By the side rockers 48, transverse oscillations, and y By the eccentrics 24, vertical oscillations, and the stanchions rock and yield at the spring connections l5 to allow all such table movements.

If it be desired toavoid any rise and fall ofthe table as it rocks on its stanchions, this may be accomplished by the arrangement shown in Fig. 7, where bearings 68 are substituted for the ball joints and eachhas its surface 69 struck on a curve having a radius the length of the stanchion. In the center vof the surface 69is a socket 7() which loosely receives a screw pin 7l. This is mounted inthe table or base support and is screwed through a fiat bearing plate 72 which serves as a washer and contacts with the adjacent surface 69. The pin is loose enough in the socket to permit the limited horizontal motions imparted to the table, and the latter will thus swing laterally in the same plane except as it may be moved from such plane by the vertical oscillations imparted thereto by the weights 24.

The table has the shape of a parallelogram with the acute angles at its highest left corner (see Fig. 4) and lower right corner. At the upper left corner I provide a feed chute 7 3 and extending along above its higher side edge is a water trough 74 with a perforated bottom to deliver water along the higher side edge of the table. Parallel with its sides I vprovide longitudinal riffles 75 separated into groups or zones by the spaced higher riliies 76. The rifiles are formed of any suitable material and attached in any practical way to the table, which as show-n in Fig. 11, has a waterproof covering 77 through which angle iron riiles are bolted to the table which in turn is bolted to a channel iron frame 7 8. The right hand or discharge end edge of the table is sloped up, as seen in Fig. 9, and the rifiles extending thereon are cut away underneath to fit to said incline.

- In operation, the material to be treated is delivered to the table by the feed chute and the three table drives are started up, giving tothe table high frequency short vertical oscillations and low frequency relatively long horizontal oscillations both lengthwise and transversely. The water` and material are thus forced both by the table motions and by its inclination to flow across and lengthwise thereof across the riftles. The vertical oscillations produce a rapid stratification of the material contemporaneously with its forced movementv both lengthwise of and across the riflies by the cam drives. sults that the less-dense matter will travel diagonally across the riflies while the denser matter follows the rifl'les and rides up the incline 79 and falls .off the end of the table. The less dense matter falls off the' lower side edge of the table.y f

vMany adjustments are possible to accommodate the table to any particular duty. The speed of the motor 23 may be raised and with it the frequency of the vertical oscillations. The eccentrics 25, 24 may be relatively adjusted to vary the length ofthe vertical vibrations-` The speed of drive to the `cam shafts SO, 34 may be changed to vary the frequency of the horizontalreciprocations.

The horizontal reciprocations may be varied Ytogether or relatively by change in the conformation of the cams 36, or of the position of thev yokes 42 orv 50 to the rocker axis. The motion of the table can bevaried by connecting the horizontal oscillating drives lcloser thereto or farther therefrom, using the different attachment points on the brackets 54 and 62. The inclination of the table can be varied at will by adjustment of the length of its supporting stanchions.

All of these adjustments provide the widest range of control for the table permitting the compound motions thereof to be so governed and modified as to produce the maximum efficiency of separation as well as lcapacity for the table. All of the operations described will take place whether or not the material is treated dry on the table or is subjected to some other medium as water or air current-s, to modify the separating effect `of the tables compound .movements The rising surface 79 at the end of the riflies restores the off-fall of the denser matter which the invention herein shown, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, as changes in arrangement and substitution of equivalents maybe made by those skilled in the art without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is j 1. The combination with a concentrating table having means to reciprocate it horizontally and means to vibrate it vertically and a base support, of sectional rocking table supports having universal joint connections to the base support and to the table to permit the table to reciprocate, means to adjust the length of a plurality of said supports, and a spring interposed between the sections of each support to permit free axial It re- `vibratory motionfbetween the endl bearings responsive, tovertical vibrations.

2. The combination with e concentrating table and a. supporting bese of a plurali/ty of 5 rocking` supportsiior the tnble-each support comprising en intermediate sleeve member, e

yuniversel bearing` element edjusteb1ycon-- nected to one lend ofthe sleeve member, a universal bearing element -`spring mounted lolfor free axial play on the other endof the sleeve member,V and bearing elements for the Supporting; base 1nd tabieedapted to-coectwvitb said universel bee-ring elements,

3. The combination with a. concentrating 15.tz1b1e and a. supporting base of .e plurfdity of Supports, each having universal bear-ings at each end, e spring supporting' one. of the universel' bearmgs of each support ree to permit vertical vibrations of the table.. `201means to adjust `the length of a` plurality of said supports, and bea-ring elemente on the Y.

.baseand :tablerwhich co-act with seid universel bearings on the'eupports.

4., `A .rocking .support for e concentrating table, comprising e. `bottom ball joint comprlsingmeansto prevent relative rotation of the Jointmembers about thenXis ofthe-,sup-

port, en lintermediate supporting section. ad- Ajustzdjdy 'connectedto one of saidball bearball bearing `adapted to rock in said socket,

e `support .mounted on said `bail bearing', ineens to prevent the bail turning in its Socket about -the long axis of vthe support, .screwmeans to adjustebiy connect the support -to `the bail, a spring mounted on the support. en upper universal vjoint member mounted .on the spring free for vertical vib1z1tions,a.nd means to connect saidupper joint member to e table.

In Atestimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

Vininrnv J. LIDE. 

